Flying Lessons

The doves flock together, nest together, and sing together. In the winter they travel south, in the spring they return north. Then one day a new bird flies on the scene. A big, noisy bird with twin engines and lots of legroom. The strange new bird ruffles the flock's feathers. But even as the doves turn their backs on him, their unwelcome companion makes himself quite useful. He might even teach them a new way to fly. . . .

Gilbert Ford's debut picture book combines the right amount of silliness with a heartwarming message about finding one's place in the world.

PreSchool-Grade 1—A story about celebrating differences and embracing one's uniqueness. A flock of doves has always done things a certain way, from flying to cooing to bathing. When a passenger airplane joins the birds, it disrupts their pattern of behavior with its inability to adapt. Fed up, they ask the plane to leave. However, when an early winter arrives, the plane comes in the nick of time and helps the doves fly south in the comfort of its cabin. Sherbet pinks and oranges meld seamlessly into various shades of blue, and while the renderings of the aircraft bent over worms and curled in trees look stilted, they effectively demonstrate how out of place it is in the world of birds. It is when stretched out, with the birds buckled into their seats, that the vehicle looks happiest. Simple wording in combination with whimsical, '50s cartoon-style illustrations make for an entertaining read-aloud.—Kim T. Ha, Elkridge Branch Library, MD
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Every spring a group of doves flies north together, coos simultaneously, and rests on the same telephone wire. On one trip north, however, a new bird joins them. No feathers, just steel. Quite a bit larger, also noisier, and if he were to land on the wire, he'd break it big time. Things get worse when the doves arrive at their northern home; the “bird” tries and tries to fit in, but finally he jets off. Then, one cold day, the doves realize they've missed their chance to fly south. Their old friend appears and opens his door, taking the doves to their destination. As the now-identified plane notes, “I cannot fly with you . . . but you can fly with me.” The text is a bit stretched to make an actual story, but that hardly matters when the art takes readers on such a satisfying visual trip. In a woodcut-meets-digital-enhancement style, the pictures effectively use a variety of graphic elements, giving children lots to look at and lots to laugh at as well. Preschool-Grade 1. --Ilene Cooper